arXiv subjects

J. Menezes

Publications and source records attributed to J. Menezes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Ambush strategy impacts species predominance and coexistence in rock-paper-scissors models

We investigate the adaptive Ambush strategy in cyclic models following the rules of the spatial rock-paper-scissors game. In our model, individuals of one species possess cognitive abilities to perceive environmental cues and assess the local density of the species they dominate in the spatial competition for natural resources. Based on this assessment, they either initiate a direct attack or, if the local concentration of target individuals does not justify the risk, reposition strategically to prepare an ambush. To quantify the evolutionary consequences of these behavioural strategies, we perform stochastic simulations, analysing emergent spatial patterns and the dependence of species densities on the threshold used by individuals to decide between immediate attack or anticipation. Our findings reveal that, despite being designed to enhance efficiency, cognitive strategies can reduce the abundance of the species due to the constraints of cyclic dominance. We identify an optimal decision threshold: attacking only when the local density of target individuals exceeds 15% provides the best balance between selection risk and long-term persistence. Furthermore, the Ambush strategy benefits low-mobility organisms, increasing coexistence probabilities by up to 53%. These results deepen the understanding of adaptive decision-making in spatial ecology, linking cognitive complexity to ecosystem resilience and extinction risk.

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arXiv2025

Saltatory targeting strategy in rock-paper-scissors models

We explore how strategic leaps alter the classic rock-paper-scissors dynamics in spatially structured populations. In our model, individuals can expend energy reserves to jump toward regions with a high density of individuals of the species they dominate in the spatial game. This enables them to eliminate the target organisms and gain new territory, promoting species proliferation. Through stochastic, lattice-based simulations, we show that even when the energy allocated to jumping, as opposed to random walking, is low, there is a significant shift in the cyclic dominance balance. This arises from the increased likelihood of the leaping species successfully acquiring territory. Due to the cyclical nature of the game, the dominant species becomes the one that is superior to the jumping species. We investigate how spatial patterns are affected and calculate the changes in characteristic length scales. Additionally, we quantify how saltatory targeting reshapes spatial correlations and drives shifts in population dominance. Finally, we estimate the coexistence probability and find evidence that this behavioural strategy may promote biodiversity among low-mobility organisms but jeopardise long-term coexistence in the case of high-mobility dispersal. These results underscore the profound impact of novel foraging tactics on community structure and provide concrete parameters for ecologists seeking to incorporate behavioural innovation into ecosystem models.

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arXiv2025

Antagonistic coinfection in rock-paper-scissors models during concurrent epidemics

We investigate the dynamics of dual disease epidemics within the spatial rock-paper-scissors model. In this framework, individuals from all species are equally susceptible to infection by two distinct pathogens transmitted via person-to-person contact. We assume antagonistic mortality, where the simultaneous occurrence of coinfection reduces the probability of host mortality due to complications arising from either coexisting disease. Specifically, we explore two scenarios: global antagonism, where the presence of one pathogen inhibits the progression of the other in coinfected hosts, and uneven antagonism, where only one pathogen affects the development of the other. Using stochastic simulations, we show that the characteristic length scale of the spatial patterns emerging from random initial conditions diminishes as antagonism becomes more significant. We find that antagonism enhances species population growth and reduces the average probability of healthy organisms becoming infected. Additionally, introducing individuals' mobility restrictions significantly decreases both organisms' infection risk and selection pressures. Our results demonstrate that combining mobility restrictions with antagonistic coinfection can increase organisms' life expectancy by up to $54\%$. Our findings show that integrating antagonistic coinfection and mobility restriction strategies into ecological models may provide insights into designing interventions for managing concurrent epidemics in complex systems.

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arXiv2024

Ambush strategy enhances organisms' performance in rock-paper-scissors games

We study a five-species cyclic system wherein individuals of one species strategically adapt their movements to enhance their performance in the spatial rock-paper-scissors game. Environmental cues enable the awareness of the presence of organisms targeted for elimination in the cyclic game. If the local density of target organisms is sufficiently high, individuals move towards concentrated areas for direct attack; otherwise, they employ an ambush tactic, maximising the chances of success by targeting regions likely to be dominated by opponents. Running stochastic simulations, we discover that the ambush strategy enhances the likelihood of individual success compared to direct attacks alone, leading to uneven spatial patterns characterised by spiral waves. We compute the autocorrelation function and measure how the ambush tactic unbalances the organisms' spatial organisation by calculating the characteristic length scale of typical spatial domains of each species. We demonstrate that the threshold for local species density influences the ambush strategy's effectiveness, while the neighbourhood perception range significantly impacts decision-making accuracy. The outcomes show that long-range perception improves performance by over 60\%, although there is potential interference in decision-making under high attack triggers. Understanding how organisms' adaptation to their environment enhances their performance may be helpful not only for ecologists but also for data scientists aiming to improve artificial intelligence systems.

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arXiv2023

Spatial patterns and biodiversity in rock-paper-scissors models with regional unevenness

Climate changes may affect ecosystems destabilising relationships among species. We investigate the spatial rock-paper-scissors models with a regional unevenness that reduces the selection capacity of organisms of one species. Our results show that the regionally weak species predominates in the local ecosystem, while spiral patterns appear far from the region, where individuals of every species play the rock-paper-scissors game with the same strength. Because the weak species controls all local territory, it is attractive for the other species to enter the local ecosystem to conquer the territory. However, our stochastic simulations show that the transitory waves formed when organisms of the strong species reach the region are quickly destroyed because of local strength unbalance in the selection game rules. Computing the effect of the topology on population dynamics, we find that the prevalence of the weak species becomes more significant if the transition of the selection capacity to the area of uneven rock-paper-scissors rules is smooth. Finally, our findings show that the biodiversity loss due to the arising of regional unevenness is minimised if the transition to the region where the cyclic game is unbalanced is abrupt. Our results may be helpful to biologists in comprehending the consequences of changes in the environmental conditions on species coexistence and spatial patterns in complex systems.

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arXiv2023

Impact of reproduction-mobility trade-off on biodiversity in rock-paper-scissors models in changing environmental conditions

We investigate a tritrophic system in which organisms' energy depletion, resulting from failed selection attempts, leads to a partial loss of capacity to win the cyclic spatial game. The energy required to maintain optimal organism fitness may be impacted by changes in environmental conditions, increasing the death risk due to accelerated deterioration of health. We simulate the evolutionary behavioural strategy performed by individuals of one species, which consists in balancing efforts dedicated to reproduction and mobility to minimise the chances of death by lack of energy. We show that the unevenness introduced by the trade-off strategy unbalances the rock-paper-scissors model, with the predominant species profiting from enemies' lower birth rate of enemies. Quantifying the spatial patterns, we demonstrate that the characteristic length scale of single-species domains decreases as energy loss accelerates due to environmental changes. The erosion in the spatial patterns provoked by the reproduction-mobility trade-off benefits biodiversity, with coexistence probability rising for faster energy depletion and higher trade-off factors. The findings have implications for ecologists seeking to understand the impact of survival behaviour on biodiversity promotion.

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arXiv2023

Spatial dynamics of synergistic coinfection in rock-paper-scissors models

We investigate the spatial dynamics of two disease epidemics reaching a three-species cyclic model. Regardless of their species, all individuals are susceptible to being infected with two different pathogens, which spread through person-to-person contact. The occurrence of coinfection leads to a synergistic increase in the risk of hosts dying due to complications from either disease. Our stochastic simulations show that departed areas inhabited by hosts of a single pathogen arise from random initial conditions. The single-disease spatial domains are bordered by interfaces of coinfected hosts whose dynamics are curvature-driven. Our findings show that the coarsening dynamics of the interface network are controlled by the fluctuations of coinfection waves invading the single-disease territories. As the coinfection mortality grows, the dynamics of the interface network attain the scaling regime. We discover that organisms' infection risk is maximised if the coinfection increases the death due to disease in $30\%$, and minimised as the network dynamics reach the scaling regime, with species populations being maximum. Our conclusions may help ecologists understand the dynamics of epidemics and their impact on the stability of ecosystems.

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arXiv2023

Mobility restrictions in response to local epidemic outbreaks in rock-paper-scissors models

We study a three-species cyclic model whose organisms are vulnerable to contamination with an infectious disease which propagates person-to-person. We consider that individuals of one species perform an evolutionary self-preservation strategy by reducing the mobility rate to minimise infection risk whenever an epidemic outbreak reaches the neighbourhood. Running stochastic simulations, we quantify the changes in spatial patterns induced by unevenness in the cyclic game introduced by the mobility restriction strategy of organisms of one out of the species. Our findings show that variations in disease virulence impact the benefits of dispersal limitation reaction, with the relative reduction of the organisms' infection risk accentuating in surges of less contagious or deadlier diseases. The effectiveness of the mobility restriction tactic depends on the tolerable fraction of infected neighbours used as a trigger of the defensive strategy and the deceleration level. If each organism promptly reacts to the arrival of the first viral vectors in its surroundings with strict mobility reduction, contamination risk decreases significantly. Our conclusions may help biologists understand the impact of evolutionary defensive strategies in ecosystems during an epidemic.

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arXiv2023

Trade-off between reproduction and mobility prolongs organisms' survival in rock-paper-scissors models

We study the spatial rock-paper-scissors model, where resource competitors' cyclic dominance impacts organisms' energy levels. Our model assumes that failed selection interactions can lead to energy loss, reducing the chances of success in the spatial game and hastening decline. To prevent death by energy insufficiency, organisms of one out of the species strategically perform a trade-off between reproduction and mobility. When prioritising exploring more extensive areas, organisms aim to maximise the chances of acquiring resources to regain high energy levels. Through simulation, we examine the effect of survival behaviour on species segregation and spatial patterns. Our outcomes show that the trade-off between offspring generation and accelerated movement effectively protects individuals from death due to lack of energy. Moreover, the risk of being eliminated by an enemy in the cyclic game reduces due to the behavioural strategy. Considering a three-state model, we quantify how the trade-off parameter controls the organisms' energy recovery. Computing the median organisms' survival time, we find that although individuals performing the trade-off strategy may live longer, the organisms of other species are negatively affected by a life expectancy reduction. Our research may elucidate the role of adaptive survival strategies in species persistence and provide valuable insights for ecologists.

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arXiv2023

How multiple weak species jeopardise biodiversity in spatial rock-paper-scissors models

We study generalised rock-paper-scissors models with an arbitrary odd number N \geq 5 of species, among which n are weak, with 2 \leq n \leq (N-1)/2. Because of the species' weakness, the probability of individuals conquering territory in the cyclic spatial game is low. Running stochastic simulations, we study the role of unevenness in the rock-paper-scissors game in spatial patterns and population dynamics, considering diverse models where the weak species are in different positions in the cyclic game order. Studying systems with five and seven species, we discover that the individuals' spatial organisation arising from the pattern formation process determines the stability of the cyclic game with multiple weak species. Our outcomes show that the presence of species unbalances the spatial distribution of organisms of the same species bringing consequences on territorial dominance, with the predominant species being determined by the position in the cyclic game order. Our simulations elucidate that, in general, the further apart the regions inhabited by different weak species are, the less the coexistence between the species is jeopardised. We show that if multiple weak species occupy adjacent spatial domains, the unevenness in the cyclic game is reinforced, maximising the chances of biodiversity loss. Our discoveries may also be helpful to biologists in comprehending systems where weak species unbalance biodiversity stability.

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arXiv2023

Locally adaptive aggregation of organisms under death risk in rock-paper-scissors models

We run stochastic simulations of the spatial version of the rock-paper-scissors game, considering that individuals use sensory abilities to scan the environment to detect the presence of enemies. If the local dangerousness level is above a tolerable threshold, individuals aggregate instead of moving randomly on the lattice. We study the impact of the locally adaptive aggregation on the organisms' spatial organisation by measuring the characteristic length scale of the spatial domains occupied by organisms of a single species. Our results reveal that aggregation is beneficial if triggered when the local density of opponents does not exceed $30\%$; otherwise, the behavioural strategy may harm individuals by increasing the average death risk. We show that if organisms can perceive further distances, they can accurately scan and interpret the signals from the neighbourhood, maximising the effects of the locally adaptive aggregation on the death risk. Finally, we show that the locally adaptive aggregation behaviour promotes biodiversity independently of the organism's mobility. The coexistence probability rises if organisms join conspecifics, even in the presence of a small number of enemies. We verify that our conclusions hold for more complex systems by simulating the generalised rock-paper-scissors models with five and seven species. Our discoveries may be helpful to ecologists in understanding systems where organisms' self-defence behaviour adapts to local environmental cues.

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arXiv2022

Spatial organisation plasticity reduces disease infection risk in rock-paper-scissors models

We study a three-species cyclic game system where organisms face a contagious disease whose virulence may change by a pathogen mutation. As a responsive defence strategy, organisms' mobility is restricted to reduce disease dissemination in the system. The impact of the collective self-preservation strategy on the disease infection risk is investigated by performing stochastic simulations of the spatial version of the rock-paper-scissors game. Our outcomes show that the mobility control strategy induces plasticity in the spatial patterns with groups of organisms of the same species inhabiting spatial domains whose characteristic length scales depend on the level of dispersal restrictions. The spatial organisation plasticity allows the ecosystems to adapt to minimise the individuals' disease contamination risk if an eventual pathogen alters the disease virulence. We discover that if a pathogen mutation makes the disease more transmissible or less lethal, the organisms benefit more if the mobility is not strongly restricted, thus forming large spatial domains. Conversely, the benefits of protecting against a pathogen causing a less contagious or deadlier disease are maximised if the average size of groups of individuals of the same species is significantly limited, reducing the dimensions of groups of organisms significantly. Our findings may help biologists understand the effects of dispersal control as a conservation strategy in ecosystems affected by epidemic outbreaks.

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arXiv2022

Adaptive altruistic strategy in cyclic models during an epidemic

We investigate a cyclic game system where organisms face an epidemic beyond being threatened by natural enemies. As a survival strategy, individuals of one out of the species usually safeguard themselves by approaching the enemies of their enemies and performing social distancing to escape contamination when an outbreak affects the neighbourhood. We simulate how the survival movement strategy to local epidemic surges must adapt if a pathogen mutation makes the disease deadlier. We study the spatial distribution of local outbreaks and observe the influence of disease mortality on individuals' spatial organisation. We show that adapting the survival movement strategy for a high mortality disease demands an altruistic behaviour of the organisms since their death risk increases. Despite weakening the disease transmission chain, which benefits the species, abandoning refuges provided by safeguarding social interaction increases the vulnerability to being eliminated in the cyclic game. Considering that not all individuals exhibit altruism, we find the relative growth in the species density as a function of the proportion of individuals behaving altruistically. Our results may be helpful for biologists and data scientists to understand how adaptive altruistic processes can affect population dynamics in complex systems.

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arXiv2022

Adaptive survival movement strategy to local epidemic outbreaks in cyclic models

We study the generalised rock-paper-scissors game with five species whose organisms face local epidemic outbreaks. As an evolutionary behavioural survival strategy, organisms of one out of the species move in the direction with more enemies of their enemies to benefit from protection against selection. We consider that each organism scans the environment, performing social distancing instead of agglomerating when perceiving that the density of sick organisms is higher than a tolerable threshold. Running stochastic simulations, we study the interference of the adaptive movement survival strategy in spatial pattern formation, calculating the characteristic length scale of the typical spatial domains inhabited by organisms of each species. We compute how social distancing trigger impacts the chances of an individual being killed in the cyclic game and contaminated by the disease. The outcomes show that the species predominates in the cyclic game because of the organisms' local adaptation. The territory occupied by the species grows with the proportion of individuals learning to trigger the social distancing tactic. We also show that organisms that perceive large distances more properly execute the adaptive strategy, promptly triggering the social distancing tactic and choosing the correct direction to move. Our findings may contribute to understanding the role of adaptive behaviour when environmental changes threaten biodiversity.

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arXiv2022

Combination of survival movement strategies in cyclic game systems during an epidemic

Disease outbreaks affect many ecosystems threatening species that also fight against other natural enemies. We investigate a cyclic game system with $5$ species, whose organisms outcompete according to the rules of a generalised spatial rock-paper-scissors game, during an epidemic. We study the effects of behavioural movement strategies that allow individuals of one out of the species to move towards areas with a low density of disease vectors and a high concentration of enemies of their enemies. We perform a series of stochastic simulations to discover the impact of self-preservation strategies in pattern formation, calculating the species' spatial autocorrelation functions. Considering organisms with different physical and cognitive abilities, we compute the benefits of each movement tactic to reduce selection and infection risks. Our findings show that the maximum profit in terms of territorial dominance in the cyclic game is achieved if both survival movement strategies are combined, with individuals prioritising social distancing. In the case of an epidemic causing symptomatic illness, the drop in infection risk when organisms identify and avoid disease vectors does not render a rise in the species population because many refuges are disregarded, limiting the benefits of safeguarding against natural enemies. Our results may be helpful to the understanding of the behavioural strategies in ecosystems where organisms adapt to face living conditions changes.

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arXiv2022

Mobility unevenness in rock-paper-scissors models

We investigate a tritrophic system whose cyclic dominance is modelled by the rock-paper-scissors game. We consider that organisms of one or two species are affected by movement limitations, which unbalances the cyclic spatial game. Performing stochastic simulations, we show that mobility unevenness controls the population dynamics. In the case of one slow species, the predominant species depends on the level of mobility restriction, with the slow species being preponderant if the mobility limitations are substantial. If two species face mobility limitations, our outcomes show that being higher dispersive does not constitute an advantage in terms of population growth. On the contrary, if organisms move with higher mobility, they expose themselves to enemies more frequently, being more vulnerable to being eliminated. Finally, our findings show that biodiversity benefits in regions where species are slowed. Biodiversity loss for high mobility organisms, common to cyclic systems, may be avoided with coexistence probability being higher for robust mobility limitations. Our results may help biologists understand the dynamics of unbalanced spatial systems where organisms' dispersal is fundamental to biodiversity conservation.

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arXiv2022

Adaptive movement strategy may promote biodiversity in the rock-paper-scissors model

We study the role of the adaptive movement strategy in promoting biodiversity in cyclic models described by the rock-paper-scissors game rules. We assume that individuals of one out of the species may adjust their movement to escape hostile regions and stay longer in their comfort zones. Running a series of stochastic simulations, we calculate the alterations in the spatial patterns and population densities in scenarios where not all organisms are physically or cognitively conditioned to perform the behavioural strategy. Although the adaptive movement strategy is not profitable in terms of territorial dominance for the species, it may promote biodiversity. Our findings show that if all individuals are apt to move adaptively, coexistence probability increases for intermediary mobility. The outcomes also show that even if not all individuals can react to the signals received from the neighbourhood, biodiversity is still benefited, but for a shorter mobility range. We find that the improvement in the coexistence conditions is more accentuated if organisms adjust their movement intensely and can receive sensory information from longer distances. We also discover that biodiversity is slightly promoted for high mobility if the proportion of individuals participating in the strategy is low. Our results may be helpful for biologists and data scientists to understand adaptive process learning in system biology.

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arXiv2022

Adaptive movement strategy in rock-paper-scissors models

Organisms may respond to local stimuli that benefit or threaten their fitness. The adaptive movement behaviour may allow individuals to adjust their speed to maximise the chances of being in comfort zones, where death risk is minimal. We investigate spatial cyclic models where the rock-paper-scissors game rules describe the nonhierarchical dominance. We assume that organisms of one out of the species can control the mobility rate in response to the information obtained from scanning the environment. Running a series of stochastic simulations, we quantify the effects of the movement strategy on the spatial patterns and population dynamics. Our findings show that the ability to change mobility to adapt to environmental clues is not reflected in an advantage in cyclic spatial games. The adaptive movement provokes a delay in the spatial domains occupied by the species in the spiral waves, making the group more vulnerable to the advance of the dominant species and less efficient in taking territory from the dominated species. Our outcomes also show that the effects of adaptive movement behaviour accentuate whether most individuals have a long-range neighbourhood perception. Our results may be helpful for biologists and data scientists to comprehend the dynamics of ecosystems where adaptive processes are fundamental.

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